Document-cabinet



2 Sheets-Sheet 1,

JQJ. SHTUOHKA.

(No Model.)

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(No Model.)

' 2 ShetsSheet 2. J. J. SHTUOHKA. DOCUMENT CABINET.

No. 531,241. Patented Apr. 20, 1397.

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is: co, monrum UNITED STATES ATENT rmcn.

JACOB J. SHTUOHKA, OF ROCHESTER, NEW YORK.

DOCUMENT-CABINET.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 581 ,241 dated April 20, 1897. Application filed October 24, 1896. Serial No. 609,937. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAooB J. SHTUOHKA, of Rochester, in the county of Monroe and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Documen t-Oabinets, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and shown in the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apartment cases or inclosures for the safe keeping of written or printed documents, such as folded papers, small books, 850.; and it consists in a body or cabinet provided with internal tilting shelves or receptacles for the documents. In front of each shelf or holder a door is provided which when thrown back uncovers an opening through which access may be had to the shelf, and the opening of the door causes the shelf to automatically tilt, and so, by

means of gravity, deliver thedocument out.

through the opening or doorway ready to hand.

The invention consists in other novel features and conveniences, all hereinafter fully described, and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a front elevation of my improved documentcabinet, parts being broken away. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the upper part of the cabinet, (seen as indicated by arrow 2 in Fig. 1,)

the body in part being vertically sectioned, as on the dotted line 2 2 in Fig. 3, and one shelf partly sectioned on the dotted line 2 in Fig. 3, parts shown in two positions by full and dotted lines. Fig. 3 is a'plan of the device horizontally sectioned, as on the dotted line 3 3 in Fig. 2, parts being broken away. Fig. 4 shows a modification in the manner of tilting the shelf, the body of the cabinet being vertically sectioned and parts shown in two positions by full and dotted lines. Fig. 5 is a vertical section on the dotted line 5 5 in Fig. 4, (view indicated by the arrow pointedv on the line.) Fig. 6 is a vertical section of parts, better showing the starter for the documents. Fig. 7 is a cross-section of a hingejoint for a door. Figs. 2 and 4 to 7, inclusive, are drawn to various scales larger than that of Figs. 1 and 3.

Referring to the parts shown, A is the inclosing case or cabinet, which maybe of any size, according to the use intended. The one shown represents'it as being constructed of sheet metal with a middle vertical partition a, dividing the cabinet into two general compartments extending from base to top. In each compartment there is placed a series of tilting shelves or document-holders B, arranged one over another, as shown inFig. 2, each being normally horizontal with vertical sides 0 c and rear end I), but open at the forward end. Each shelf rests upona horizontal bar or rod d, Figs. 1 m4, reaching from side to side of the cabinet, upon which it is adapted to tilt to an inclined position, as indicated by dotted lines in Figs. 2 and 4.

The sides, back, top, and bottom of the cabinet A are imperforate, but the front side has no Wall integral with the cabinet, it being closed by a series of horizontal doors 6, alternated with face-pieces f, to which the doors are hinged at g. The doors are preferably formed to turn downward on their hinges, as shown in Fig. 2, but if found convenient they may open by swinging upward, as indicated in Fig. 4, the hinge gin the latter formbeing at the top of the door. The door, as shown in Figs. 2 and 3, is formed with a downwardprojecting part h inside of the adjacent facepiece f, which, by means of a rodz' and crank 70, actuates a horizontal shaft Z, Figs. 1, 2, and 3, held in the walls of the cabinet beneath the rod (Z. A spring-arm mon the shaft Zreaches out in position to bear against the under surface of the shelf back of the rod d, upon which the shelf rests. From this description of the parts it will be understood that when the door 6 is turned downward to the dotted position shown in Fig. 2, acting as a lever of the first order, it will, by means of the intermediate parts, tilt the shelf to the position shown by dotted lines. hen the shelf is thus tilted, the document, book, or other body .9 contained therein will slide downward and out at the opening onto the open inclined door and thus be presented ready to the hand of the person operating the door. The parts are further relatively so arranged that the part It extends under the forward end of the shelf, as appears in dotted lines in Fig. 2, to act as a stop or rest for the shelf in its tilted position. The rod d is placed considerably forward of the middle of the shelf, so the preponderance of the shelf and said door are approximately in the same plane, so that said floor and door constitute practically a continuous inclined slide or chute down along which the document readily glides.

To facilitate the downward movement of the document, I provide the floor of the shelf with numerous easy-running small rollers n; also, to insure the prompt starting downward of the document when the shelf is tilted I provide a starter therefor consisting of an arm 0, Figs. 2, 3, and 6, hinged at p to the rear wall of the cabinet some distance above the rear end of the shelf. The lower end of this arm is provided with a roller 0', adapted to roll along the floor of the shelf when the latter is tilted. This starter has its lower end within the shelf, as shown, and when the latter is tilted its rear end will approach the joint 19, which will cause the lower end of the arm 0 to move forward along the floor of the shelf, as clearly indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 2. The arm will thus push the document or body 8 forward or start it down the incline of the shelf. \Vhen the shelf assumes its horizontal position, the starting-arm 0 will, from the action of gravity, assume its normal position. (Shown by full lines in Fig. 2.)

I prefer to form the arm 0 with an apron or part t, Fig. 6, extending in front of the roller 0* to cover the latter and bear directly against the document 3 while the starter is acting. I also prefer to form the rear end of the shelf with an inclined part 10, Figs. 2 and 6, for the roller 0' to follow when the shelf first begins to tilt. This is to insure the prompt forward movement of the arm when the shelf commences to tilt. Otherwise the arm 0, if it should not work readily, might act as a lock to prevent the tilting of the shelf on account of the latter and the arm being so nearly at right angles.

Should the door he hung at the top, as shownin Fig. 4, the part h will extend upward instead of downward and connect with the rear end of the shelf by means of a rod 2:, crank-arm w, and jointed rods 50 and y. The arm to and the upper rod 00 are rigid with each other, both adapted to turn upon a horizontal pin ct, held above the shelf, as shown. By swinging the door to the inclined position shown by dotted lines the parts h, 'u, w, as, and y will assume the several positions shown by dotted lines, the shelf being thereby tilted to the position also shown by dotted lines. The rod 3 is secured to the shelf by means of a simple projecting part c, Fig. 5, or by any other convenient means.

I prefer to form the door-hinges in the manner shown drawn to a larger scale in Fig. 7. A horizontal rod Z), Figs. 1, 2, 4, and 7, passes through the hinged joint from side to side of the cabinet. The face-piecef is formed at its upper edge in a roll 0 around the rod, and the door 6 is formed with a similar roll d around the roll 0''. Thus constructed the door turns evenly upon the face-piece, which is made rigid with the body of the cabinet by some well-known means, as soldering. This form of joint for the door and the face-piece may also be used at the corners of the cabinet, if found convenient.

The doors are each providedwith a simple catch f, Fig. 1, of common kind, and names of persons or initial letters or other characters may be placed upon the doors, as shown, to indicate the character or employment of the articleson the shelves within.

hat I claim as my invention is- 1.. In a cabinet for documents, the combination, with a case or inclosure provided with a door, of a tilting shelf between the door and the rear of the case, and means for connecting the shelf with the door in such manner as to tilt the shelf when the door is operated, substantially as set forth.

2. In a cabinet for documents, the combi' nation, with a case provided with a series of doors, of a tilting shelf between each door and the rear of the case, said shelves being at such a distance from each other as to permit of each shelf being tilted without engaging with the shelves above and below it, and means for moving each shelf when its respective door is operated, substantially as set forth.

3. In a cabinet for documents, the combination, with a case provided with a series of doors, of a shelf pivotally secured between each door and the rear of the case, and a rod pivotally connected with the door and with the shelf, whereby the shelf is moved when the door is operated, substantially as set forth.

4. A document-cabinet consisting of an inclosure with a series of tiltable shelves, and access-openings to said shelves, in combination with a starter for the document or body upon a shelf, substantially as shown and described.

5. In a cabinet for documents, the combination with a case provided with a door, of a shelf, the rear end of which is provided with an inclined portion, an arm secured within the case, the free end of which is provided with a roller adapted to normally rest upon the inclined portion of the shelf, and means nation, with a case, provided with a series of doors, of a shelf pivotally secured within the case between each door and the rear of the case, the hinge of the door being at such a distance below the pivotal point of the shelf that when the door is open and the shelf is in its tilted position the bottom of the shelf and the door will be substantially in a line with each other, substantially as set forth.

8. In a cabinet for documents, the combination, with a case, provided with a series of doors, of a series of rods within the case, a

shelf pivotally secured upon the rods at the rear of each door, a crank, a spring, and a rod for connecting the shelf with its door, I 5

substantially as set forth.

In Witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand, this 16th day of October, 1896, in the presence of two subscribing Witnesses. 

